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Secretary Quarles reported that the Joint Chiefs of Staff
had tried to take into account the point which the President had just
made, but that they had concluded that after a devastating nuclear
attack all the Free World nations would need every merchant vessel
left to them or that they were in a position to build.
The President then suggested his second question. Should
we not commence with an estimate of the requirements for merchant
shipping set by commercial and trade considerations, rather than beginning with en estimate of the requirements for shipping posed by
considereticns of national defense? Turning to the Acting Secretary
of Commerce, the Fresident asked him whether he could describe a reasonable program of replacements of merchant vessels, looking at the
fFroblem from the point of view of trade and commerce. Secretary
Williams replied that he couldn't answer the President's question
precisely, and that it would be very difficult to distinguish between
the level of ships required by commercial consideraticns and that required for national defense.
.
.
The National Security Council:
a.
Noted and discussed the subject in the light of the
,enclosures to the reference memoranda of October 9 and
December 10, 1957, with particular reference to the
Record of Action of Defense Mobilization Board Meeting
No. 139, conteined in Exhibit B enclosed with the reference memorandum of October 9.
Io’
(
The Fresident went on to easy that he wes by no means sure
that the necessary accurate assumptions on requirements were being
made by the Joint Chiefs of Staff. He therefore sugesested that a
new approach be made, beginning with an estimate of the commercial
requirements for the U. S. merchant marine. After arriving at this
estimate, the Defense Department should consider how much of its
military requirements could be obtained from this commercial fleet
together with the fleets cf allied nations. The figure of 1200
ships didn't mean very much in itself to the Fresident.
Concurred, in accordance with the recommendation of the
Defense Mobilization Board, thet;
"The policy that an
adequate merchant marine is essential for defense purposes should be reaffirmed. Under latest planning concepts, there is a continuing need for a modern, adequate,
and well-balanced U. S. merchant marine fleet.”
c.
Neted that the Defense Mobilization Board at its 139th
meeting had recommended, and the Director, Office of Defense Mobilization, had approved, the recognition of a
stated interim mobilization bese goal for the active
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